Had my "pick up driving buddy" in my C2 yesterday. Filled the tank up about 3 miles from my home. It's 30 mph speed limit all the way home and there is a short stretch that is downhill. As a result I was in EV mode most of the time and benefited from the downhill stretch. The car displayed that I got 99.9 MPG for the 3.2 mile trip when we arrived. He just couldn't believe it. He watches my MPG display all the time and now thinks maybe these Prius things aren't so bad. Never thought I'd hear him say that.
When people see it with there own eyes, and realise how much they could save. It is then that you see the light go on and the thought processes begin. So often the uneducated about hybrids are put off by equally uneducated people passing on stories like the batteries disintegrate at 20,000 miles. John (Britprius)
I went 6 miles the other day and got 99.9MPG. I wasn't even in EV mode the entire time, or going down hills just coasting a lot. I almost sh*t my pants. I took a photo of it. Didn't go over 50MPH though.
Participated in a paid focus group about Prius vehicles. The group facilitator asked why it took me so long to get into a hybrid. I told her that prior to my purchase, I didn't know much about it even though the technology has been around, and felt that I was taking a risk by being the first of my family and friends to buy a Prius. The facilitator looked dumbfounded. Believe it or not, there's still many many people who are clueless to hybrids and think that type of technology is the devil. Also, many uneducated think that hybrids are high maintenance, or that there's a catch in achieving high mpg.
I encountered the same thing this weekend. Being dumbfounded myself by the comments I just heard, all I could do was point out that I've been driving Prius for 13 years without any trouble. What else could I say?
As an engineer, I generally assume that the more complex a design is, the more trouble-prone it is. It makes intuitive sense that, all things being equal, a car with a dual-propulsion system has more that can go wrong with it than a car with just an engine. However, it seems that as a practical matter, Toyota has gotten very good in its designs and implementations, and thus these cars are well above average in reliability. But I can understand why others look upon them with uncertainty. Brings to mind an aphorism: In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, theory and practice differ.
It has been a common theme in "Top Gear" and other hybrid-skeptics, a lie. It is one of the reasons why I am disgusted by the Taylors and others who advocate 'magic' driving . . . while sitting in a hybrid or any other high MPG vehicle. The Taylors are stealing the hard work of the engineers who made the marvelous machines . . . so they can tout their 'special driving' and make an unearned living. Glory seekers who take credit for the hard and smart work of others, engineers, mathematicians, and technologists. Bob Wilson
Purchased a Prius c two in January but it wasn't because of the supposed savings. Yes, you do save on gas but those savings are offset by the higher cost of the hybrid over comparable gas vehicles. For example the difference in MSRP between a Prius c and a Honda fit, (two vs. sport, or three vs. sport with navigation) is a little over $2100. With a 20 MPG difference (50 vs. 30), It takes 50,000 miles at 4.00/gal and 60,000 miles at 3.50/gal to break even. I purchased the Prius because I liked the looks, it has the highest reliability rating and I get a modicum of satisfaction from screwing the oil companies and OPEC.
T There are other savings on the Prius to take into account. With town driving with most normal cars you would have had at leased one set of brake pads replaced and possibly even the rotors, "on some cars seem to ware out faster than the pads. Also servicing on the Prius is generally cheaper or at leased it is in the UK. Our road tax with the gen2 is £10 ($16) a year with the "C" it's free, compare that with an average of £180 ($300) the savings begin to add up. I have save over £1000 ($1600) in road tax against my previous car in 4 years. Driving into London you have to pay a charge of I believe £16 a day with the Prius it's free, so if you need to drive into London dayley for work 5 days a week 49 weeks a year "allowing for holiday" the saving is £3920 ($6270). John (Britprius)
The purchase is a one-time cost in the inflation slope but the fuel expense occurs as inflation robs our pocket book year-after-year. Meanwhile, the depreciation of a fuel efficient car is somewhat offset by inflation plus the higher value of a fuel efficient car in future gasoline price spikes. Anecdotal reports include Prius owners who claim to have sold their relatively new Prius for more than they paid. Bob Wilson
i always get the same questions anytime i take someone new for a ride in my car. is the engine on now? how far can you go on electric? omg did it just shut off? how long does a tank last? they always seem very interested in the car, and amazed at how little gas ive used. i bought the c because of the savings, i didnt look at it in the way that the price vs other new cars and how long it would take to make the difference up. i looked at it like.. my 97 acura cl 3.0 was costing me $350-$500 bucks a month in gas. and avg about $100 a month in repairs/upkeep my C costs me about $60-$120 a month in gas depending if i take any random drives ( which i like doing) my car payment is $380 a month and i got the 8 year extended warranty if theres any issues first month owning the car the fuel savings covered my car payment, free car! lol since then its been less since its the winter,since ive done less road trips.
My (non-driving) family members still go "OMG! I still can't believe it just starts moving!" when I slowly pull out of driveways or away from the kerb. More often than not they say this over the sound of the ICE starting up so they don't really notice that so much either. I guess it helps having the Southern Hemisphere c habit of the ICE not starting up until you actually accelerate above the mid-way mark on the HSI for the first time, so they don't really notice the fact that I've switched the car on and aren't "ready" for the car to move.
Somewhat sadly.... My "Non-Hybrid" friends, who I have debated Hybrids and Prius with for years, and they have consistently always warned me from ever purchasing a Hybrid almost stubbornly refuse to be impressed with my new Prius. Hopefully I can own my Prius and get some years of good performance out of it, because their reaction is polite silence. In other words I get "the feeling" they think I've made a mistake in buying a Prius. Like they are just going to sit back now and wait for the inevitable failure of the vehicle or the huge repair bill. In my friends defense, it will take some years of successful operation, to either prove my point, or prove theirs. If I can drive The Prius 2-3 years or longer without any major malfunction or break down? Then I think I'll impress them. Right now they think I've bought an overly complicated toy, that they don't expect reliability from. Oddly as well, it seems my ownership of a Prius has quelled debate. When I did NOT own a Prius, most of them were willing to debate with me, why I shouldn't ever own a Prius. Now when I actually have one? I get sudden silence on the issue. Almost like they don't want to hurt my feelings with their assured wisdom that The Prius is an albatross waiting to be tied around my neck. Now that I own a Prius, they almost treat me like the dying victim of some disease process. I REALLY hope I didn't get a lemon, because if I have any severe problems in the short term, I'll never convince "a lot" of my friends that they haven't been right all these years. For a lot of my acquaintances and friends... I'm now the test case. You'd think with so many sold and operating that wouldn't be the case, but people who don't respect hybrids or really even want to understand them, kind of refuse to look at the actual reality. I'm getting a lot of "Sure the gas mileage is great...but....".
My Prius replaced a non-hybrid that I'd driven 235,000 miles. This household still has two other old non-hybrids, which we have already driven 185,000 and 170,000 miles. Just 60,000 miles to break even? That makes the choice a no-brainer.
That is their right. Let them be, there is no need to verbally debate it. You will probably win or lose the issue at the same rate either way, loudly or silently.
